Safety bottle breaker



Oct. 31, 1939. T. R. HEMAN ET AL SAFETY BOTTLE BREAKER Filed May 11, 1936 73 a y 4 a fi/ 8 a 2 /O 1 P a wnn 2 1 9 3 a 6 0 .2. 4.

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Patented on. 31, 1939 PATENT OFFICE 2,177,926 Y SAFETY BOTTLE BREAKER Theodore R. Heman and Ferdinand Gruenes, Chicago, Ill.;..said Gruenes assignor to said Heman Application May 11, 1936, Serial No. 79,208

This invention relates to certain novel improvements in safety bottle breakers, and has for its principal object the provision of an improved construction of thischaracter which will be highly efficient in use and economical in man- :ufacture.

In the sale of certain bottled products, it is unlawful for the consumer or the merchant last handling the bottled product to refill the bottle for resale, and in many instances the lawrequires that the bottle be destroyed. Prior to our invention it was the universal practice todeposit the bottle in a container, such as a refuse can, and break the bottle by means of some implement '15 suitable for that purpose or to deposit the bottles in a pile and then break or otherwise crush the same. Regardless of this method of destroying the bottle, it is obvious that the practice of such method not only is dangerous to theone breaking up the bottle or bottles, but is dangerous in the respect that the broken bottles become scattered over a substantial area, thus jeopardizing passersby or the like.

It is, therefore, one of the many objects of this invention to provide a bottle breaker which assures safetyto the operator during the breaking operation and which prevents the broken bottle orthe fragments thereof tobecome scattered or otherwise disposed of. r

A further object of the invention is to provide within a closed container a bottle support and bottle breaker, the latter being operable by action of'the cover of the container.

ther objects will appear hereinafter.

.35 The invention consists in-the novel combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawing showing the 40 preferred form of construction, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional detail view of the same taken substantially on line 22 of Fig.

45 Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional detail View similar to that shown in Fig. 2 by illustrating the cover in an open position; and

Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional detail view of the same taken substantially on line 44 of 50 Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawing illustrating the preferred form of construction of our invention, a container is indicated at I0, and this container includes side walls II, a bottom I2, and a cover 55 I3 hinged to one of the side Walls, as at M,

1 Claim. (o1. s3 9s) through the medium of suitable hinge elements I5.

To facilitate movement of the container about,

we provide a handle I6 having its opposite end portions pivotally secured, as at I8, to adja- :1 cent side walls of the container lfl.

Formed as a part of the cover l2 are finger portions I9 which facilitate opening and closing of the cover I3. One of the side walls of the container is provided with a foot rest 20 of an- 10 gular formation whereby'when the device is in operation, the operator may place his foot upon the rest 29 to prevent the container from moving about during the opening and closing action of the cover l3.

Arranged within the container and secured to one of the side walls H, as at 2|, is a bottle support 22 in the form of a narrow strip of material, as best shown in Figs. 2 and 4. Spaced from this bottle support 22 and secured to one of 20 the side walls II is a cooperating bottle support 23 of a-shape and size adapted to receive that portion of the bottle adjacent the mouth thereof.

Pivotally secured within the container through the medium of a pintle rod 24 having connection 25 with opposite corresponding side walls of the container NJ is a bottle breaker 25 including a hammerhead 26 adapted to engage the bottle 50 a predetermined distance adjacent the sup port 221 30 Engaging the lower edge portion 46 of the bottle breaker 25 is the bight 21 of a link 28 pivotally secured to an arm 29, as at 30. This arm 29 is pivoted, as at 3|, to adjacent side wall I I of the cabinet Ill. The end 41 of the arm 29 is connected to a link 35 through the medium of a slot-and pin connection 36. This link 35 in turn is pivotally connected, as at 31, to a lug 38 secured to the cover l3.

A latch structure is provided for releasably 40 latching the breaker 25 in an inoperative position when the cover I3 is opened, and this latch structure is constructed and designed so as to operate automatically to release the breaker when the cover I2 is moved to closed position.

This latch structure includes a latch arm 39 pivoted to the adjacent side wall of the cabinet ID, as at 40, and is adapted to have latched engagement, as at 4|, with an adjacent portion indicated at 42 of the breaker 25. This latch arm 39 is pivotally connected to an operating link 43 through the medium of a link 44. This operating link 43 is pivotally mounted as at 48 upon the side wall II and has an angled end portion 45 adapted to be engaged by the arm 29 whereby to pivot the latch arm 39 upwardly to disengage the latch head H from the portion 42 of the breaker 25 when the cover is moved into closed position.

The operation of the latch mechanism is such that when the cover is raised hammer arm 46 is likewise raised and simultaneously therewith the latch arm 39 is moved upwardly when the angled head part 42 of the arm 46 engages the end portion M of the latch arm 39, and as soon as the hammer of arm 49 approaches its upward limit the latch 39 falls downwardly by gravity so that the angled latch portion 4| thereof is positioned in front of the angled end portion 42 of arm 46, and thus further downward movement of the hammer is prevented until such time as the latch 39 is again moved upwardly by the operation of the cover actuated levers 44-43 when the latch extremity M is slipped upwardly past the extension 42 on the hammer arm 46.

The operation of the device is as follows: A bottle is disposed within the container with the body portion B of the bottle resting upon the support 22 and the neck portion N resting upon the support 23. Prior to the positioning of the bottle 27 upon the supports, the cover is raised into open position. In raising this cover l3 into open position, the arm 29 acting through the link 28 elevates the breaker 25 in the position shown in Fig. 3 with the spring 34 placed under substantial tension. The resting of this breaker 25 in the position shown will dispose the latch head 4| of the latch arm 39 in latched engagement with the portion 42 of the breaker 25, the operating link 43 being disposed with its angled end portion 45 in a position to be engaged by the arm 29. The bottle is then placed upon the supports in the manner hereinbefore stated.

To break the bottle, the operator closes the cover l3 to cause the arm 29 to engage the angled portion 45 of the operating link 43, whereupon the arm 39 is pivoted upwardly to disengage the latch head M from the portion 42, whereupon the breaker 25 under the action of the spring 34 is caused to come down in hammer-like force upon the bottle 59 and break the bottle. A stop member 5| is provided upon the side wall II and is disposed in a position to take the force of the blow of the hammer before the head portion 26 strikes the bottle support 23. Upon breaking of the bottle, the broken portions thereof will fall from their supports 22 and 23 into the bottom portion of the container Ill. In this manner we provide a means for breaking bottles in a manner such as will assure safety to the operator.

The device breaking the bottles within a conta-iner also provides a temporary place of confinement for the broken and fragmentary portions of the bottles.

It is to be noted that the hammer portion is about to be released when the cover is 98% closed, and that upon the tripping of the latch 4344-39 the cover is 100% closed, thus assuring, upon the striking of the bottle by the hammer, that no fragments or splinters of glass can escape from the confines of the container l0.

While we have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction for carrying our invention into effect, this is capable of variation and modification without departing from the spirit of the invention. We, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail ourselves of such variations and modifications as come within the scope of the appended claim.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

In a device of the class described including a receptacle and a hinged cover for said receptacle,

hammer mechanism comprising a hammer arm H pivoted between its ends in said receptacle and having a hammer at one of said ends, and an actuating lever pivoted between its ends in said receptacle, spring means attaching one end of said actuating lever to the end of said hammer arm opposite the hammer, a link pivotally attaching the free end of said actuating lever opposite said spring means to said cover, a setting lever having pivotal connection with said actuating lever at a point on the latter between the pivotal mounting thereof and the end to which said link is attached, said setting lever having sliding engagement with said hammer arm along an edge thereof between the pivotal mounting of the same and said hammer whereby to move the hammer arm in a. particular direction to set the same responsive to opening of the cover, and trip mechanism including a locking lever pivoted near one end opposite said hammer in set position and having an opposite free end disposed to move in blocking position relative to said hammer arm when the same is set as aforesaid to hold the same in set position, and tripping lever means operatively connected with said locking lever and having a portion positioned for engagement by said actuating lever when the cover is closed whereby to release said hammer arm for breaking movement out of set position by said spring means.

THEODORE R. HEMAN. FERDINAND GRUENES. 

